Library

Document describing a hygrothermal modeling study, including all of the US climate zones, a range of interior humidity levels and numerous arrangements and types of insulation.

Brochure discussing specific practices for mitigating moisture and mold during the construction process.

Document describing common questions about moisture, mold, and wood.

Information sheet about mold mitigation.

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Pamphlet describing different types of mulches and their benefits.

Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

An article about double-hung windows.

Report for local governments, planners, emergency managers, developers, insurers, and property owners describing ways to improve the wildfire resistance of buildings, infrastructure and communities in the wildland urban interface.

An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.

An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

Guide providing information on controlling attic ductwork sweating.

Report covering wind loading on roofing assemblies.

Paper describing a study on savings in peak power and cooling energy for homes with shade trees.

Brochure describing what permeable pavement is, where to install it, and how to maintain it.

Calculator to help in calculating pool volume.

Article describing how to properly manage condensing HVAC equipment.

Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.

Research report describing study of exterior retrofit approach for air sealing, insulating, and water management conducted by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership team run by University of Minnesota.

Case study describing the External Thermal and Moisture Management System developed by the NorthernSTAR Building America Partnership for retrofitting roofs with rigid foam over the roof deck, especially on one and a half-story homes.

Pamphlet describing proper mulching around trees and problems and benefits associated with mulching.

Report providing wildfire protection guidance for homeowners in California.

Report addressing flood, wind and seismic hazards and recommends several multi-hazard resistant foundation designs of manufactured homes.

Fact sheet describing the special considerations that must be made when installing utility equipment, such as fuel, sewage, and water/sewage lines in a coastal home, and presenting recommendations for utility protection; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction...

Table calculating friction losses for PVC pipe by length.

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices to reduce the likelihood of water intrusion in walls and foundations in residential construction.

Document covering basic moisture control principles in the design of above-grade building enclosures; driving rain as a moisture load on walls; a classification system of the various rain control strategies available for walls; and good design practises for walls.

Report covering the performance of residential buildings during three hurricanes impacting Florida in 2004.

Document with important building science considerations, designed for members of the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers who work in affordable housing.

Report describing steps homeowners can take to improve the indoor air quality in their home, including ventilating, preventing pests, and reducing pollutants in the home.

Information sheet designed for the residential construction and remodeling industries, as well as owners and managers working in affordable housing. This sheet presents building guidance for both new construction and rehabilitation, as well as practices that can be used by property maintenance...

Report from FEMA on how to reduce damage from localized flooding including planning, drainage, building codes and retrofits, and regulations.

An EPA guide describing the causes and impacts of summertime urban heat islands, promoting strategies for lowering temperatures in U.S. communities.

Guidance document describing urban heat islands, what they are, how they form, why we care, and including some strategies to reduce them.

Technical bulletin describing National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requirements for flood openings in foundation walls and walls of enclosures below elevated buildings.

Resource that differentiates products in the marketplace that meet WaterSense requirements.

Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.

Resource to help builders better understand the WaterSense requirements for labeled homes and assist them in meeting the criteria so they can receive the label for their new construction.

Factsheet providing homeowners with an overview of approaches for flashing and sealing roof penetrations to help discussion with a roofing contractor.

Article from the Institute of Biological Engineering describing reverse osmosis water softeners.

Report describing how to construct a frost protected shallow foundation (FPSF) as a practical alternative to a deeper, more-costly foundation in cold regions with seasonal ground freezing and the potential for frost heave.

Report from FEMA describing techniques for floodproofing structures.

Website tool that can search for trees by name or characteristics and retrieve data describing tree attributes including site preferences and general characteristics and considerations.

A website providing information on how to properly size a water heater based on tank size, volume, peak hour demand and other factors.

How hard can it be to insulate a flat sheet of concrete? I mean you only have three choices – on the top, on the bottom, or on the edge. OK, you might have some combination of the three as well.

Report describing a comparison of hydrothermal performances of DryRightTM fiberglass batts and kraft-faced fiberglass batts in a south facing wall assembly with a moisture storage cladding material.

A research paper exploring the design, installation, repair and maintenance of solar water and pool heating technologies.

Specification describing criteria for manufactured polymeric materials used to provide a rainscreen function, a means for the drainage of liquid moisture and the ventilation of vapor moisture that enters an above-grade exterior wall assembly which was published in the year 2019, and is available for...